Georgetown man sentenced to decade in prison for accessory to 2020 murder

GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) - A Georgetown man pleaded guilty Thursday to accessory to murder charges in connection to a 2020 investigation.

24-year-old Eric Wade Hempel entered an Alford plea to charges for accessory after the fact of murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The charges are connected to the 2020 death of 35-year-old Harry Barkley whose remains were found in May 2021 in a wooded area in Williamsburg County, almost a year after he was reported missing.

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Barkley’s car was found a month after he was reported missing.

Hempel was arrested in October 2021 in Tennessee after a high-speed chase with officers and extradited to Georgetown County. Shelby Ashby was also arrested in the case and faced similar charges but died in custody at Georgetown County Detention Center last month.

Hempel also faces charges in Williamsburg County, those charges are still pending.

stay with WMBF News for updates.